


Tony's Little Secret

by Buckybeardreams



Series: The Classifieds [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe- Classifications, Angst, Baby!Loki, Baby!Peter, Baby!Tony, Bed-Wetting, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Classifications, Daddy!Wade, Diapers, Domestic Avengers, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Gen, Little!Bruce, Littles Are Known, M/M, Non-Sexual Age Play, Platonic Bed Sharing, Platonic Cuddling, Sharing a Bed, Steve Rogers Needs a Hug, Toddler!Clint, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, caregiver!Sam, daddy!Phil, little!Natasha, toddler!bucky, toddler!steve
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-28
Updated: 2020-08-28
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:14:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,241
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26144698
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Buckybeardreams/pseuds/Buckybeardreams
Summary: In a world where Littles are known, there's no reason to hide your identity. Unless you're Tony Stark, that is. Can Tony hold it together, when he's asked to watch his friends Littles, or will he end up dropping too?Or the one where pretty much everyone is Little and Tony has to watch them all overnight and the chaos that ensues!Edited 2/7/2021
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes & Steve Rogers, James "Bucky" Barnes & Steve Rogers & Tony Stark, James "Bucky" Barnes & Steve Rogers & Tony Stark & Avengers Team, James "Bucky" Barnes & Tony Stark, James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers, Steve Rogers & Tony Stark, Tony Stark & Avengers Team
Series: The Classifieds [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1898527
Comments: 34
Kudos: 245
Collections: Non-Sexual Age Play Fics (MCU)





	Tony's Little Secret

**Author's Note:**

> Just as a warning, there are mentions of sex.
> 
> The avengers and superheroes don't exist in this world. This is a Classification AU where everyone's divided into Dom, Sub, Neutral, Caregiver, or Little.
> 
> I use a sliding scale age regression in this series, so instead of a Little having a set age, they have an age that they usually regress to. Than sometimes they're a bit younger or older than that.
> 
> Tony is usually 20 months, but his range is 18-24 months
> 
> Steve is 4-6
> 
> Bruce is 10-12
> 
> Bucky and Clint are 3-5
> 
> Natasha is 7-9
> 
> Loki is 2-4
> 
> Peter is 10-20 months but usually 15 months
> 
> Enjoy!

In a world where classification is mandatory and Littles are known there was no reason to hide your identity. That is unless you happen to be Tony Stark. After all, Stark men are made of iron. Howard Stark was quick to remind his son, anytime he showed any sign of being Little that Starks were not babies. Tony had spent his whole life suppressing the urge to regress. He wasn't about to give in now, even with his parents both gone. Even with his awful uncle, Obadiah Stane, in prison. Tony wasn't going to drop. He wasn't. He couldn't.

As much as Tony had been adamant he didn't need any time off, Pepper insisted he take it. Virginia Potts was the only person outside of his family who was aware of Tony's true Classification, and she was worried that Tony was working himself too hard, especially, since she knew that staying Big all the time was hard on him. The rest of the world was under the impression that he was a Neutral. Tony liked it that way. Neutrals didn't have the same restrictions and regulations put on them that Littles did, but most importantly, Neutrals didn't need a guardian.

Technically, a guardian didn't need to be a Caregiver. They could be a Dom or Neutral. Though, Doms tended to be too hard on Littles and Neutrals tended to be pretty clueless about how to care for them. Littles and Caregivers always matched better together, like they were suited for each other. Tony had heard it all before. How Littles needed to be cared for and Caregivers needed to have someone to take care of. It was simple biology. Tony was quite literally a genius and one of his favorite pass times was "sciencing" with Bruce, as Clint liked to call it(Tony was not pleased when that term stuck, and cringed anytime one of his friends used it), still, Classification studies was not his forte. That didn't mean he was clueless. Tony liked to consider himself well rounded. He was the type of person who prided himself in knowing a little bit about everything, and if something really caught his interest, he would know it better than the experts by the end of the night. That's just who Tony was. He was a genius, through and through. Which is why he was determined to never, ever be mistaken for a baby. He wasn't a baby. Nuh-uh. No way.

He sighed as he stared out the window of one of his many vacation houses. This particular one was out of the way, in the country side. The property grounds was large, a couple hundred acres large. Tony owned everything in sight, from the forest of trees, to the lake nestled in between them, even the mountain tops jutting out of the earth and towering above his head. There was no lack of space. The house, was far from a log cabin, with a dozen bedrooms, and four floors, he had everything he could possibly need here. JARVIS, his AI, could have food delivered to him within two hours and have anything he could possibly want shipped to him, thank god for same day shipping. Still, he felt trapped and alone. Tony had only just arrived and he was already ready to leave. He groaned, knowing Pepper planned to keep him here for three weeks.

Three weeks.

That was practically an eternity. With no internet or wi-fi, he couldn't work, or scour social media to distract him from not being able to work. He didn't even have a lab here to tinker or anything. Tony was sure he was going to lose it before the day was out. He moped around the place until bedtime, drinking himself into a drunken stupor, before finally passing out in one of the large California king beds. The next day was very similar to the first. He sulked, he ate, he drank, he lounged around the pool, he drank more, and finally he passed out again. He awoke to the sun filtering through the window and groaned. Why did the sun have to be so sun shiny? His head was throbbing, and he felt nauseous, even before the smell of urine hit his nose as he shoved the blankets unceremoniously off him. The soiled bedding was now hanging half way off of the bed and Tony grimaced at the uncomfortable feeling of dried urine against his sensitive skin. Honestly, he wasn't surprised. If anything he was shocked he didn't wet himself the night before. His control over his bladder when he was awake and sober was iffy at best, his control while drunk and sleeping was practically nonexistent. Grunting he pulled himself up, tugging off the gross clothes that tried to cling to his body. He stripped the bed, before wadding up all the soiled laundry. He stuffed the wad down a garbage shoot, feeling slightly better knowing that he'd discarded all of the evidence. After hunting down spare sheets and a blanket in a linen closet, Tony made his bed and jumped in the shower.

He was cautious of the spray of water as he scrubbed off the stench of pee. Tony wasn't a huge fan of getting his face wet after Afghanistan, courtesy of his dear Uncle Obie, but he was used to avoiding it whether that be the spray of the showerhead or bodies of water. Tony just wished that he could scrub away the memory of pissing himself as easily as he could the evidence of it. He grimaced as the washcloth rubbed over his scarred chest, the skin was no longer tender, the wounds long since healed, but the memory lingered, just one more thing that Tony wished he could scrub away and watch disappear down the drain. Slipping back into his room, he threw on a pair of boxer briefs and a band shirt, not even bothering to throw on pants. He stumbled into the kitchen, pulling out leftovers from last night, and began stuffing his face. He didn't even care that it was cold, he barely tasted it anyways. He was glad when he didn't throw up the contents as he abandoned the food containers on the counter. He had just landed on the couch in one of the large living rooms, when his phone began ringing. He snatched up his phone, and answered without even checking the caller ID.

"What?" He croaked.

"Tony? You okay, man? You sound like shit." The voice of his bestfriend spoke over the line.

He groaned at the sound. He was too hung over for this.

"Yeah, fine. Just waking up. What do you need?" He grumbled in response.

"Umm. Never mind, this was clearly a bad idea."

Tony was about to hang up, wondering why he even bothered to answer, when Rhodey spoke again.

"Dammit! I told them I would get you to agree. Tony I never ask you for anything, man. What I'm about to ask is seriously way out of your league, but I need you to sober up and step up to the plate for me. Got it?."

Tony groaned again. He was not in the mood to deal with this. Usually he would jump at the opportunity to talk to Rhodey. He'd probably regret being too hungover to appreciate that Rhodey was taking the time to call him once he was feeling better, but right now he really just wanted to tell him to fuck off.

"What do you want, Rhodey? And make it quick, I've got a killer head ache."

"Take some ibuprofen, Tones. Seriously, I know you have some. I'm sorry to have to do this to you during your vacation, but Phil called me, knowing I would be the best chance at getting you to agree."

"Agree to what?" Tony was only half listening.

He was currently trying to let the couch absorb him, maybe if he sank far enough into the cushions, he would cease to exist. Hopefully, then, the throbbing in his head would cease to exist too.

"Tony, you need to take the Littles overnight." Rhodey said, his tone trying to convey how urgent of a matter it was.

Tony laughed, regretting it when the pounding in his head increased.

"Rhodey, I love you, but I seriously can't handle your jokes right now."

It had to be a joke, because no one in their right mind would trust Tony with their Little. Not because he was a baby, though certainly that was reason enough for Tony to decline any sort of offers to help out. His friends didn't know he was a Little, because he forced himself to be Big, but, they did know that he hated being around them when they regressed. He didn't just try to avoid his friends when they were Little, Tony was noticeably uncomfortable when he was around them while they were in headspace. Of course they didn't know the reason behind it. He was worried that being around them while they played, and seeing their caregivers dote upon them, would lead to him dropping. It was a slippery slope that Tony was keen on avoiding.

There was one time in particular that really made Tony second guess his decision to have Littles for friends. They had all been hanging out together during movie night, everyone was Big, until Clint started regressing and the movie they were watching was deemed too violent and adult, and had to be switched to a cartoon. Once Clint slipped, suddenly Tony found himself surrounded by Littles, it's what Sam referred to as the domino effect. Before he knew it Bucky, Nat, Loki, Peter, and Steve had all slipped, and Bruce was teetering on the edge. Tony had found himself on a similar cliff, trying desperately to cling to any sense of adult he had in him. When the movie had ended, Phil and Sam had scooped up Clint and Bucky, ushering a tired Nat, and half asleep Steve towards the elevator, while Bruce trailed obediently behind them. Thor had taken Loki's hand in his own, Jane holding his other one, while trying to appease the grumpy toddler by reminding him that his big sister, Darcy, had promised to read him a bedtime story. Wade had been rocking Peter in his arms even though the baby was asleep, and Tony had found himself watching enviously from the couch as the Littles were carted off to bed. A part of him had wanted to follow after the Littles who were dragging their feet and mumbling about not being tired even as they rubbed at their eyes and yawned. He had wanted to demand that someone carry him, while he clutched a stuffie to his chest, half asleep and barely able to hold his head up. He didn't though. He held himself back, and he made a point of walking out of the room anytime one of his friends regressed from that day on.

"I'm not joking Tony. I wish I was. We all know you don't like Littles, but they really need this. Thor's dad is in the hospital. There was an accident and the doctors aren't sure if he's gonna make it. Thor has to go be with him and Jane's going to support him. They were going to keep an eye on anyone who might have regressed while Steve, Phil, and Wade were at work. Their really in a pinch, and you're their last resort. Otherwise, you know they wouldn't be asking."

Tony's blood froze in his veins. It took him a moment to process it all. He felt a twinge of guilt when he thawed out enough to respond, because his initial fear wasn't for Thor's dad, he was terrified at the prospect of watching Littles, and not just one or two, but ALL of them.

"Can't you do it or May? I mean I can't watch all of them. You know I'm not capable of that." Tony whined.

Tony knew even as he asked that Rhodey couldn't. His bestfriend was off on tour and wouldn't be home for weeks, if not months. Surely, May was more suited for this kind of thing though, and Fury was usually pretty lenient when it came to May and Coulson taking time off for Little related reasons, unless they were needed for a mission or something equally as time sensitive.

"You've got to, Tony. You know why I can't and May has to work, just like Coulson. Just be happy that their Littles barely know Thor. May thinks they'll be able to stay Big while she goes to work, just like they usually do. Now I've gotta get off the phone before my C.O. starts complaining. Phil and Sam will be there at seven to drop off." Rhodey responded firmly.

Rhodey hung up with a gotta go, as a voice started yelling in the background. Ah shit. This was gonna be a disaster. Tony collapsed back onto the couch with a groan, he seriously needed a drink.

Punctual as always, Phil arrived exactly at seven, Sam not far behind. Each kid had an overnight bag packed with everything they could possibly need, and Tony was feeling overwhelmed before they even crossed the threshold. Loki was clinging to Phil as he was brought inside, but everyone else walked in on their own, so Tony wasn't even sure if they were Little or not, their attire giving nothing away.

"Thanks Tony, we really appreciate it. With the stress of, you know..." Phil sent a cautious look at the Little in his arms, sounding nervous. "We're just not sure how long any of them are going to stay Big, or just how Little they'll be when they do drop. This one seems to be on the younger side." He said, whispering the last part, so Tony had to lean in to hear him.

Tony cringed at the way he said when, instead of if, as though he was sure they all would drop. Tony hoped that they didn't all drop at the same time, though Tony had no doubt that Sam's domino theory was more than just theoretical, but maybe if they staggered their regressions, he just might stand a chance, maybe, not likely though. He was so screwed.

"Call if you need any advice, but Bruce should be able to answer most of your questions, hopefully."

Sam also sounded nervous, Tony couldn't blame them, he was probably even more nervous then they were. Mostly because he knew there was a good chance he'd drop, too. It was irresponsible of him to not warn them that he was Little, but on the off chance that he didn't drop, he really didn't want to expose his secret for nothing. It'd been years since he'd last fully dropped, so there was only a very limited chance he would be able to hold it together with a house full of Littles running around. On the other hand, he was quite adept at suppressing the urge to drop, so who knows, maybe he would be able to keep it together for the night.

"Right, yeah, I'm sure it'll be fine. I mean, how hard can it be?"

Sam and Phil shared a look.

"Like I said we really appreciate it." Phil said.

"Maybe we should stay a little while, just to get everyone situated." Sam suggested.

Loki was still clinging to Phil, but as far as Tony could tell, he was the only one who was currently Little.

"Nah, don't worry about it." Tony waved him off.

He was mostly just worried that they would be here when he dropped. If. He corrected himself. Ah, who is he trying to kid? He doesn't stand a chance. Phil and Sam still didn't seem convinced, probably because Tony was less than convinced himself.

"We'll be fine, Sam. I'm gonna stay Big and keep an eye on things." Steve reassured him.

Steve pried Loki away from Phil, resting him on his hip. He shushed the whiny baby, before addressing Phil.

"Don't worry, we've got this."

"Yeah, it'll be fine." Clint pitched in.

Everyone else nodded and murmured agreements. Tony had a feeling they were all just trying to put on brave faces, and he also got the feeling that Phil and Sam knew it. It took another half an hour of assurances that everything would be fine, rounds of hugs and detailed instructions that Tony only half paid attention to, before they were finally on their way out the door. Tony sighed as he shut the door behind them, turning slowly to face the group, and he shifting nervously. He didn't know what to say or do, and Steve must have read it on his face. Clearing his throat, he stepped into gear.

"Okay, well, um, Tony? Why don't you show us what room you're staying in, so we can choose rooms close to yours." It wasn't a question really, more of an order.

Clint and Natasha began to protest, but Steve cut them off with a stern look. If Tony didn't know better he would have guessed that Steve was a Caregiver, or maybe a Dom. Then again, Steve had spent years fighting off bullies back when he was just a scrawny kid, back before the experiments that enhanced both him and Bucky during their time in the service. Then, the Classification Registration Bill passed while they were over seas and Steve was able to get registered as a Caregiver with some help from his pals in the army. He only did it, because he had heard word that Bucky had been registered as a Little. After Bucky was discharged, Steve was allowed to return home to become his guardian. Even though Bucky wasn't usually that much younger than Steve when they were Little, Steve made it work by staying Big. He acted as Bucky's Caregiver for years, and the strain of it almost ruined their relationship from what Tony had heard, not that they really talked about those days much. When Sam found out, he took them both in. Tony was really glad they'd found Sam, because he knew first hand the negative effects of ignoring and denying your headspace.

"Tony?"

"Huh, oh yeah. This way." He lead them up to the second floor where all the bedrooms were.

"This one's my current residence." Tony said, the joke falling flat as he took in the straight faces and tensed shoulders.

Clearly no one was in the mood for jokes. Tony felt bad. Maybe he should ask how Thor was doing and how his dad was holding up? One look at Loki told him that was probably a bad idea, the kid looked one comment away from shattering into a million pieces, Tony could understand that.

"Alright. Let's fan out. Choose rooms close by, even if you think you can stay Big. I'm going to take the room across from Tony's, in case you guys need anything at night." Steve said, sounding like a captain giving commands to his charges.

It really was no surprise that nobody ever questioned whether or not he was a Caregiver. There were murmurs and nods, as everyone walked off to claim rooms. Tony to the opportunity to head down to the bar. This was going to be a long night, he could already tell. Steve had suggested watching a movie before bed, since they had all eaten dinner before they came, and Tony joined them, despite his better judgement. With four bowls of popcorn in rotation, they all settled onto the sofas in front of a floor to floor TV. JARVIS played some cartoon movie Tony wasn't familiar with, about a monkey and a man in a yellow hat, that would be suitable for Loki who was definitely closer to one than three, much to Tony's dismay.

No one seemed too enthralled with the movie, but Tony was oddly fascinated by it, in a way that made his stomach do somersaults. Loki was curled up in Steve's lap, his face hidden in the crook of Steve's neck with Bucky sitting next to them, trying to coax the baby out of his hiding space with a game of peekaboo. Nat and Clint were chatting on a different sofa, Bruce, Peter, and Tony occupying the last sofa, talking about an assignment Peter had been given in school. Tony shifted uncomfortably when Steve stood up to go change Loki, after patting his bum. Bruce raised a brow at Tony, but he just shook his head. Tomorrow evening couldn't get here quick enough. Sam and Phil were due back at seven to pick them up, and Tony couldn't wait. As much as he had hated being here alone, he found himself wishing to be alone again.

"I think I need a drink." Tony announced, "Anyone else?"

Clint and Peter cheered, Bucky and Natasha smirked at each other, and Bruce frowned. Tony grinned. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all. Standing up he lead the parade to the bar, pulling out drinks as they were requested. Bruce's frowned deepened as shots were poured and thrown back, pulling Peter back, and keeping him away from the bar as the boy complained about how unfair it was. By the time Steve found them a good half an hour later, Loki now asleep in his arms, everyone, with the exception of Bruce and Peter, were plastered.

"Stevie! You're missing out. Come join the party!" Bucky called over to him.

Tony gulped when he saw the expression Steve wore on his face. He was livid, but Bucky didn't seem to notice as he stumbled off his barstool.

"Stevie, go put the baby to bed, and join us."

Bucky tripped over his feet and Steve's hand shot out to steady him. His glare softened as Bucky grinned drunkenly up at him. Steve licked his lip worriedly, his gaze searching the room for Tony.

"Just lemme have a word with Tony first. Okay?" His words were soft as he gazed at his intoxicated lover.

Bucky leaned up to press a kiss to Steve's lips, before pulling away to join Clint and Nat for another round. He didn't seem to notice the way Steve stiffened under his lips, but Tony did, his eyes trained on them. Tony couldn't help the twinge of jealousy that shot through him as he watched them. His jealousy was replaced by fear as Steve approached him. He knew Steve wouldn't hurt him, but the hard look on Steve's face still made him wary.

"What are you doing?" Steve whispered angrily, keeping his voice low to not disturb Loki.

"What? Everyone was bummed, now they're having a good time. I don't see the problem, Rogers." Tony tried to play if off as no big deal.

Steve clenched his jaw at Tony's nonchalant tone.

"Well, Stark. The problem is that my boyfriend is obviously teetering on the edge of his headspace and you're getting him drunk." Steve spat out.

Tony looked at Bucky. He didn't seem Little, so how could Steve possibly know if he was close to slipping. Tony frowned.

"He looks fine to me. You need to lighten up."

Steve scoffed, shaking his head.

"You don't know what you're talking about. Bucky's been trying to hold it together all day. We all are and you're not helping. If I honestly thought any of us could stay Big, we wouldn't be hear."

Tony opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He tried not to feel hurt, but for some reason Steve's disapproval really stung.

"Look, I'm not trying to be a jerk, but you don't know what your playing around with the way I do. The last time Bucky got drunk this close to headspace, it made me really uncomfortable. He tried to suck me off, but I wouldn't let him, because I know him well enough to know when he's slipping. Which lead to an epic drunken tantrum, and afterwards he asked me to tell him a bedtime story. I love dating Bucky and having sex when we're both Big, but I don't want to ever be in a situation like that again. Being in between headspaces is a really weird and tricky place to be. You're not really Big anymore, but you don't feel fully Little either. Being drunk on top of that, just makes everything so much more confusing. I already have a baby to look after, I'm holding onto threads trying to keep myself from dropping, and the last thing I need to deal with is fending off a drunk toddler who thinks he's Big enough to come onto me. Got it?"

Tony grimaced, honestly, that sounded like a nightmare. That was also more than he wanted to know. His heart ached at the thought of Steve and Bucky having sex, but he totally got why Steve would be uncomfortable with Bucky drinking right now. So, maybe he had messed this one up. He could admit that drinking might not have been the greatest idea, given everything that's happened.

"Yeah, yeah. I've got your point. What do you want me to do about it?"

"I want you to be the adult here. God, Tony! I know you're not a Caregiver, but I need you to at least act like you're grown up." Steve said exasperated.

Tony's heart dropped at the disappointment showing on Steve's face, and suddenly he felt very small. His head was swimming, he felt lightheaded, almost like he was floating. Fuck, Steve was right, the alcohol made everything so much more confusing. A whimper escaped his lips, and his eyes watered. Steve's eyes widened, and realization flashed across his face.

"Oh shit, Tony!" Steve looked heartbroken, but he still sounded exasperated.

Steve caught Bruce's eye, before dragging Tony out of the room. Tony barely noticed where they were going. The walls were swirling and he could tell he was crashing, he just didn't know how to stop it. How did he pull himself back from the edge, especially now that Steve knew? Better yet, how did he find his way back to the edge, because he was fairly certain that he was free falling towards the rocky bottom. He just wanted to collapse into Steve's arms and cry his heart out. He wanted Steve to hold him and rock him, and tell him everything would be fine. Next thing he knew, they were in his room. Steve laid a passed out Loki down in the middle of the bed, tucking him under the covers.

"Tony, hey, it's okay, sweetheart." His words were soft and gentle, like he was talking to someone who was about to break.

To be fair, Tony probably was about to shatter. His lip quivered, and he tried to hold back the tears that were threatening to overflow.

"Hey, hey, it's okay. I've got you. I'm right here." Steve said pulling Tony into his chest.

His hand rubbed soothing circles on Tony's back. It was those gentle touches accompanied by his gentle words that had Tony dropping fully. The tears poured out and he broke down sobbing. This was so foreign to Tony, the feeling of being held. The only person he could ever remember holding him like this, was his mom, and she's been gone so long. It felt so good, that it hurt.

"Shh, I've got you, I've got you." Steve repeated like a mantra.

He held Tony close, cradling his head with his free hand and Tony buried his face in Steve's neck. Steve kept whispering reassurances as Tony cried, until the sobs petered out. Tony's knees gave out, and Steve scooped him easily into his arms, Steve may be a Little, but he was also an enhanced soldier. He rocked Tony until the baby was asleep, his thumb having found its way to his mouth. Steve felt like breaking, he didn't want to hold it together, he didn't want to be Big, he just wanted to let go and be Little. He couldn't though. Tony needed him. Bucky needed him. Phil and Sam were counting on him to remain Big and be responsible, and He knew he had to, even if he also knew they'd never ask that of him. He needed to do this to help out. He could be brave, and soldier through, just like he did all those years for Bucky. He could do this for Tony now, too. The problem was, it was so much harder now that he was used to letting go.

Steve didn't know for sure how little Tony was, but he was guessing pretty little. He sighed. He couldn't just let Tony sleep with out protection when there was a good chance he'd wake up wet. Steve didn't know if he'd have control of his bladder or his bowels while sleeping, but he really didn't want to find out the hard way, especially, since he felt so fragile right now, that he thought there was good chance he'd slip into headspace while sleeping, if he could even hold off until then. He didn't want to leave Loki alone, but he didn't have much of a choice, Steve felt so overwhelmed thinking about all of the responsibilities that had fallen on his shoulders. It wasn't really fair of Steve to out Tony as a little and yet he needed to get help if he was going to keep his sanity. JARVIS asked him if he wanted him to call Sam, but Steve told him not to. He didn't want to worry them. He had to be Big, but he could feel himself slipping, even as he told himself he had to fight against it, his eyes watered, and he whimpered. Sparing one last glance at Loki to make sure he was still in the center of the bed, Steve made his way back to the bar.

Steve bit his lip, trying to hold back a frustrated scream at the scene playing out before him. Tasha was chugging liquor straight out of the bottle looking amused, while Clint and Bucky argued loudly with each other, sounding like children as they fought over who she liked better. Bruce was trying desperately to appease a very grumpy Peter who had clearly also dropped. Steve swallowed down the lump in his throat, it felt like glass slicing his insides. He had to be Big and take charge, he couldn't though. He opened his mouth to demand order, instead all that came out was a loud sob. Once he started he couldn't contain it, he sobbed, clinging to the sleeping baby in his arms. The chaos in the room stilled as all eyes landed on Steve and Tony, and Bruce scooped up the still disgruntled Peter in his arms, hurrying over to them.

"Is he...?"

"Yeah." Steve sobbed, tears pouring down his cheeks. "I don't know what to do. Bruce, what are we gonna do? We can't be all alone, not while we're all Little."

Bruce looked pretty young himself as he casted a worried glance around the room. Thankfully, Bruce was an older Little, so maybe it would be okay. It was kind of like having a babysitter, though usually you didn't leave a ten year old in charge of seven little kids, at least no sane person would.

"It's gonna be okay, Steve. We only have to make it until tomorrow evening and then we can all go home." Bruce said logically. "Alright, parties over. It's time to brush teeth and get dressed for bed."

Surprisingly, no one complained. It seems that the shock of seeing Tony asleep in his arms, while Steve broke down, was enough to make them cooperative. Tasha was able to brush her teeth and get dressed all on her own, she even helped Clint and Bucky brush their teeth, while Steve put a diaper on Tony and traded out his skinny jeans for sweats. He laid a fast asleep Tony down in the middle of his bed, before coaxing Bucky and Clint into pull ups, foregoing their pyjamas, because he just didn't have it in him to fight them on it. Steve tried to tuck Bucky into his bed, since he was used to sleeping next to him. The two young boys put up a fit over being separated and insisted on sleeping in their own bed like big boys, so Steve gave in with a heavy sigh. It had been a long time since Steve had slept without Bucky when they were both Little, but he'd have to be okay with it tonight. He just had to be. Steve tucked them into bed, their stuffies wrapped in their arms, and read them a story at their request, even though all he wanted to do was curl up next to Bucky and sleep. He couldn't though, not with Tony asleep in his bed. Even Little he knew he couldn't leave a baby to sleep all night in a big bed alone. What if he rolled out and got hurt? Steve already felt anxious enough about putting toddlers to bed all alone, but he propped pillows along the edge of the bed in the hope that it would keep them from falling out of it. Steve had to be responsible, even if he was feeling really little.

Steve stopped by Bruce and Natasha's room on the way to his. He smiled at the sight of Loki and Peter sleeping curled up between them. He was glad he didn't have to fight with any of them to get them in bed. He did feel bad that Peter had thrown a fit, while Bruce was trying to get the baby ready for bed. It really wasn't fair that just because Bruce was older when he regressed, that he had to take care of the younger Littles, he deserved to relax and be taken care of just as much as the others, unfortunately Bruce was very used to being on relied on, especially when it came to keeping an eye on Tasha. It did help that Bruce and Tasha were older, since they didn't technically have Caregivers, well they sorta did. Legally, Phil was their Guardian, but they preferred to do their own thing most of the time, at least Natasha preferred to do her own thing. Phil only allowed it because they tended to be older, well, he allowed it for Bruce, because he tended to be old enough to watch himself. Phil relied heavily on his eldest to help keep an eye out for Tasha, since she wasn't really someone you could easily argue against. She had made it pretty clear that rules didn't apply to her when she was Little the way they did for other Littles. Phil found that the more he didn't push it with her, the more she chose to seek him out when she wanted or needed help.

Finally, Steve made it back to his room. He checked Tony, then brushed his teeth, while leaving the bathroom door open. He even peed with the door open, since Tony was asleep anyways, plus he was pretty used to peeing in front of others when he was Little. Slipping on a pair of PJs quickly, he grabbed his fuzzy blue blanket and climbed into bed next to Tony and was out before his head even hit the pillow.

Tony woke up feeling floaty and warm. He felt safe and secure, in a way he was definitely not used to feeling and his eyes blinked open slowly. His thoughts felt slow, and his head heavy. He whined, a headache throbbing against his skull, and his hands clutched at his head. His fingers tugged at his curly strands, until large hands snatched them away. His vision focused and he realized he was in his room, remembering that he was on vacation. Memories of the day before flooded his mind, being asked to watch the Littles, stupidly inviting them to drink with him, breaking down in front of Steve. He flinched.

"Tony? Y'okay?" A young voice spoke from behind him.

He rolled over coming face to face with the source of heat that was keeping him toasty warm. Of course it was Steve. Tony should have been embarrassed, but he must not have been fully Big, because he couldn't bring himself to do anything, but scooch close enough to press his face into Steve's chest. He sighed contentedly, his fingers clutching at Steve's dinosaur pyjama top. He never wanted to let go. They laid like that for a while, Steve wrapping his arms around Tony, and Tony feeling like he was in heaven.

"Uh, Tony?" Steve said eventually.

He tried to pry Tony's fingers off his shirt, but Tony clung to him desperately. Steve squirmed beside him, trying to free himself. Tony just whined in response, his fists white from how tightly he was holding onto Steve. Steve whimpered, squirming even more.

"Tony, y'gotta le' go." Steve whined.

"No. Don' wanna." Tony whined back.

"Tony, pwease. I go'a go. I _weally_ go'a go." Steve stressed the really, drawing it out in a whine.

Fear struck Tony at the thought of Steve leaving him. He didn't want him to leave. He didn't want to be alone. He couldn't, he just couldn't.

"No! Don' wea'e me!" Tony whined back.

It only took a second for Steve to realize Tony thought he was going to disappear and he'd be left alone. The problem was, Steve had chosen to forego a pull-up last night, and if he didn't get to the bathroom fast, well, he didn't want to think about the consequence.

He needed to pee. Now.

Ignoring Tony's protests, Steve pulled Tony out of the bed with him, thanking God that he was enhanced, otherwise he'd never be able to carry Tony like this, and lifting the whiny baby into his arms, as he rushed to the bathroom. Tony shrieked in surprise as Steve dropped him unceremoniously on the tiled floor. He was so shocked, that his grip on Steve loosened enough for Steve to pull free and Steve whipped down his pyjama pants and underwear, not caring that Tony was there. He really needed to go. He was also feeling really Little, and he tended to feel less embarrassed when he was in the younger end of his headspace. Steve sighed in relief, as he relieved himself. Tony just stared, owl eyes blinking as he tried to figure out how he'd gone from a cozy, warm bed to sitting on these cold tiles, so quickly. He started to cry as the shock of being dumped on the floor hit him. He was not a happy baby. It was hard to be happy when you were sitting on the cold ground in a soaked diaper. Steve made quick work of his business. It was only when he went to pull his pants back up, that he noticed how, despite his efforts, he had still leaked in his undies. That's how Bruce found them. Tony bawling his eyes out on the ground in a sopping wet diaper, and Steve wailing with his pants around his ankles. That was when Bruce decided it was definitely going to be a long day.

While Tasha did her best to look after Loki and Peter, and simultaneously keep Clint and Bucky in line. Bruce was busy trying to soothe and clean two fussy Littles. It seemed they had all woken up on the younger sides of their headspaces, which is how Bruce ended up trying to get three babies and three toddlers to eat instant oatmeal without making a huge mess. It was an impossible task. Tasha refused to touch her mushy oatmeal, and instead chose to glare at Clint and Bucky anytime they tried to complain about their own breakfast. Bruce found her sternness helpful, except when it came to trying to get her to consume even a little bit of oatmeal. Bruce finally gave in, and had Jarvis place an order for an early lunch to be delivered as soon as possible. Breakfast had turned out to be less than successful, the majority of the food ending up on the floor and Bruce decided it wasn't even worth trying to clean it up. He didn't have time to feed himself, because he ended up heating up bottles for the babies and pouring milk into sippy cups for the toddlers. He managed to wipe them all off under threat of taking their milk away, before convincing Tasha to drink a glass herself. With milk gone, and a huge mess left in the kitchen, Bruce and Tasha herded them all into one room. Bruce resorted to instructing JARVIS to lock the doors and not let anyone but him out in a desperate attempt to confine the unruly Littles.

With all their bags piled up in the corner and toys spread out across the floor, he felt they could easily stay confined in here for the remainder of their stay. Okay, maybe easy was the wrong word to use. He reminded himself that Sam and Phil were coming back at seven, and kept one eye on the clock, wishing it would speed up. He was glad when food arrived. It was a huge mess and the babies still didn't eat much, but everyone else stuffed themselves. The room they were in was large, with seating and a huge flat screen on the wall. Though perfectly clean when they'd entered, it looked reminiscent of a war zone now. The fighting that Bruce had to deal with reflected that image well. Clint and Bucky were at each others throats all day, and when Bucky wasn't yelling at Clint, he was fighting a losing battle to gain Steve's attention. Poor Steve kept breaking down crying, because Tony and Bucky were both trying to cling to him. Tasha was yelling at the babies for crying, like, well, babies. Peter and Loki both wanted to sit in Bruce's lap, but he had to keep passing them off to Tasha, so he could help the others and get food and milk. Bruce felt like tearing his hair out and had to keep telling JARVIS not to contact anyone. The AI, who was monitoring them, kept badgering him about calling for assistance. Bruce was adamant that he could get them through this, even if it felt like a little slice of hell.

He ordered more food for dinner, which only added to the mess. Bruce had changed so many diapers and pull-ups he had lost count, since Tasha was the only one he trusted enough to leave the room to go potty on her own, except the last time he let her out of the room, she hid under a bed and refused to come out. He finally had to pull her out by her ankles while she kicked and screamed, afterwards she had collapsed in his arms and broken down. Bruce felt like he was losing his mind. He had finally managed to settle everyone down with bottles and sippys for a movie. Even Tasha had worn herself out enough to accept a sippy cup, which had never happened before, not even to appease Clint who tended to throw a fit when other Littles got to use cups, but he had to use a sippy. Half way through the movie JARVIS announced the arrival of Sam and Phil, and Wade was apparently with them too. Bruce was so relieved he broke down crying. He left the upset Littles locked in the room, dashing to the front door to collapse into Phil's arms. The Caregivers looked happy to see him when he pulled open the door, only to immediately become concerned. Bruce rarely reached out for support and didn't usually want to cuddle. Not to mention, how he was crying hysterically.

"Bruce. Buddy, what's wrong?" Phil asked, trying to console the distraught Little.

"Where's Tony?" Sam questioned.

His query only made Bruce cry harder. The adults shared worried looks and Sam was quick to ask JARVIS where the other kids were. JARVIS directed them to the locked room, unlocking it to give them access. Phil trailed behind with Bruce wrapped in his arms, rocking him in an attempt to calm him down.

"Phil, get over here!" Wade called anxiously.

Phil gawked at the destroyed room and the distraught Littles. Tony was attached to Steve like a starfish, while Steve tried desperately to climb into Sam's arms. Sam was holding Bucky, while simultaneously trying to stop him from hitting Tony. Needless to say all three Littles were screaming at the top of their lungs. Wade had Peter and Loki held firmly in his arms, both sobbing. Tasha and Clint came running the moment they saw Phil. Clint tried to climb up his legs to get in his arms, while Tasha just dropped to the ground at his feet, wrapping her arms around his legs.

"What on earth is happening here?" Phil exclaimed, looking lost.

"I'm guessing, Tony's not a Neutral." Wade answered, sounding frustrated.

Phil couldn't believe it. How could he not have known? He'd known Tony for years, it was hard to believe that he hadn't realized that he was a Little.

"I'm s-sorry, Daddy." Bruce hiccupped.

Phil tried to mask his surprise. He had never heard Bruce call him Daddy.

"Oh lovebug, you have nothing to be sorry about."

"I tried so hard. I did." Bruce whined, ducking his head into Phil's neck. Phil rubbed his back.

"Shh, don't be sorry. This was my fault, I should have never left you here. I'm so sorry."

It took forty five minutes to calm all the Littles down enough to get ready for bed. The adults decided it would be best to sleep there for the night. There was no way they could leave Tony here alone, but they didn't have enough car seats to go around, especially, since their Littles were all so little. Usually, Steve would sit in a car seat that didn't have a back, but with how young he was, Sam would feel better having him sitting in a more secure car seat. Steve rarely aged down past five, but sometimes he was as young as four and that was definitely the case right now. Phil had JARVIS ship them two more car seats.

"Come on buddy, let's get you into bed." Phil said to Clint, patting the Little on his padded bum as he swayed back and forth.

Clint had his thumb stuck in his mouth and his purple hawk stuffie tucked in the crook of his elbow. Clint nestled the Little in between his big brother and sister who had already passed out from exhaustion. The poor kids had a rough day full of way too many responsibilities. It ate at Phil that they had gone through that all alone, to think that they suffered, because they didn't want to bother him at work. He would have to talk to them about emergencies, but that could wait until they were Big again. Who knew how long it would take for them to age up after what they'd been through, Phil wouldn't be surprised if they stayed Little for the rest of the week. He snuck out of the room once Clint had fallen sleep. He slipped into the room next door to find Wade with Loki and Peter curled up on either side of him, all three of them fast asleep.

Then, he crossed the hall to peak in and see how Sam was fairing, who frowned up at him when he entered the room. He was reading a story to the kids, but he shot a pointed glance at the three Littles. Sam was laid out on the edge of the bed. The three kids curled up together next to him a tangle of limbs, and comfort items. Phil frowned at the sight, because Steve looked uncomfortable and kept glancing at Sam, clearly the kid wanted to snuggle with his Caregiver. He couldn't though, because Bucky was squished in between him and Sam. The toddler had one hand reaching back, clutching Sam's shirt, but his body was draped over Steve's, so he was practically laying on top of him, his bear stuck in between them. Tony was tucked up to his side, his head laying on Steve's chest and his fists were clutching his pyjama top. They all looked cute snuggled up together, with Steve's blankie draped over them, and if Steve wasn't obviously yearning to cuddle up to his Caregiver, it would have made Phil chuckle. There was nothing to do about it now though, it had been a long day, and it wasn't the time to try fighting losing battles against cranky Littles. It was clear from the sleeping arrangements, that Sam had already lost that battle.

When Phil slipped back into his room, Clint was sitting up pouting. Phil sighed. This was gonna be a long night. Clint made grabby hands at his daddy and Phil obliged by scooping him up.

"Don't weave me, Daddy."

"I'm not gonna leave you, little bird." Phil swayed and rocked the toddler until his eyes drooped once more.

Luckily, Tasha had scooted closer to Bruce and the two were now curled up on one side of the bed, so Phil was able to easily slide into bed, holding Clint tightly to him.

**Author's Note:**

> I thought it'd be funny to have Tony stress over not revealing his identity and then finally break. Leaving the Littles to fend for themselves for the day. Poor Tony, I'm evil. Also poor Bruce and Stevie, I feel like they really got the short end of the stick here. Though all of them suffered...
> 
> I read a lot of NSAP stories, but I really wanted to see something like this happen, because apparently I'm mean and I just wanted all the Littles to suffer... so yeah I decided to give it a go and this is what happened.
> 
> You can chat with me about the series on my tumblr @buckybeardreams
> 
> 2/11/21 - looking back on where this all started is a lot for me lol... from here on out I no longer warn in the notes about adult themes, so check the tags if that's something that concerns you, I do tag for things like mentions of blow and implied/referenced sex when they appear in the other parts


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